Festive Recipe Ideas

Happy Thursday, friends!

Today I'm sharing a quick and super easy dinner I put together that would be fun and festive this weekend if your plans involve hanging out at home with your family.  I've shared before that my kids are HUGE FANS of what they call "big plate" dinners and this red, white and blue version was a big hit!

Since our pool was finished on Tuesday (the patio portion still has to be completed) my kids have LIVED in the pool!  We had almost forgotten how nice it is to open our back door and hop in and so we decided to just stay in the pool for dinner on Wednesday night ;)  Thankfully I had lots of berries on hand and Dave grabbed some blue tortilla chips and red candy on his way home and we were done!

What really made the tray festive was the star cheese.  I have this set of cutters  (affiliate link) and used a few slices of muenster and it couldn't have turned out cuter.

Strawberries, black grapes, blackberries...

... deviled eggs, raspberries...

... blueberries, sour straws, Swedish fish...

... blue corn tortilla chips, salsa, salami, ham and turkey...

... garlic and herb Boursin and some wheat thins.  SIGN. ME. UP.

It's honestly nothing super special and the prep time was zero (other than laying things out on the tray because the deviled eggs I had made the day before) but the presentation (and getting to eat while hanging out in the pool) made it special and memorable.

It should surprise no one that he was the first one out of the pool and the first thing he grabbed was a sour straw :)

I know that the Fourth is going to look a lot different for a lot of us - and I'm hoping that this post inspired a fun way to make a new tradition with your kids or just make a day where you're not able to do "what you always do" a little more special.  

And because it wouldn't be Independence Day without some good food here are a few other recipes that would be FANTASTIC whether you're hanging out with friends or family.

This broccoli salad is the perfect side with burgers...

... and if you want THE BEST BURGERS EVER you should for sure check out  this recipe.

If grilled chicken is on your menu  this street corn is one of my go-to sides...

... and I wouldn't object to also adding  this avocado salad.

If you're going to be hanging out at the pool all afternoon I HIGHLY recommend popping  this pulled pork into your crockpot in the morning and having sandwiches that night.  Clearly I need to reshoot this recipe and take pictures that actually make it look appetizing.  But trust me - it's so good!

And if you make pulled pork you should probably go ahead and serve it with  Dave's Aunt Lisa's creamed corn.

One of my very favorite (and easiest!) dessert recipes is  this ice cream sandwich cake...

... and this  two-step (YES TWO!) cherry cheesecake is a festive fan favorite.

HAPPY Thursday and happy recipe-planning, friends!!!